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Wednesday, 1 April 2015 00:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Senuri de Silva
EYouth, a skills development workshop for university students was organised by Microsoft and held at Waters Edge recently. It was attended by over 200 students and 100 faculty members representing all local universities.
Secretary to the State Ministry of Higher Education Piyasena Ranepura said this workshop created a great forum for educators to meet representatives of various industries and learn about the requirements of the job market. Furthermore he sees this workshop as a valuable initiative taken by the private sector to part take in the education of these new entrants into the job market, with the skills that companies look for in employees.
The market has become considerably more competitive since Ranepura’s own time, when only about 6,000 graduates were enrolled into the universities each year. Now annually the local universities prepare over 40,000 students for employment. This includes the students enrolled into institutes such as SLIT and the Open University in addition to the annual university intake which is about 25,000. In addition to this private sector higher education institutes also enrol a large number of students, estimated at an upwards of 25,000 into their graduate program each year. A large number of students also return to Sri Lanka in search of employment after obtaining degrees from foreign universities.
Therefore according to him, around 70-80 thousand students may pass out of various institutes and universities and enter the job market each year. The reality of which is that the public sector cannot accommodate these numbers and provide employment for all graduates and a majority of them would have to be absorbed into the private sector.
“When we teach or develop the curriculum we consult the private sectors and industries,” he said, showing that the ministry does take steps to prepare students for the highly competitive job market to secure private sector employment. However a few gaps in the system remain as, “All the things the industry wanted might not be possible to be imparted in the core curriculum,” and the students themselves had a part to play in taking the initiative and developing the skills that would add value to their profiles as employees. He added, “It’s up to the students to have responsibility on their lives. We are only there to facilitate you.”
Therefore he urged students to take it upon themselves to make the maximum use of the facilities that are provided to them at their universities and develop their skills to get a competitive advantage in the job market.
University of Moratuwa Senior Lecturer and Consultant HETC Vishaka Nanayakkara said that workshops of this nature were valuable to all stakeholders involved. For the students, it allowed them to develop their skills as they prepare to enter the labour market.
Since the event featured small groups of students representing all local universities across the island the senior lecturer urged the students present not only to understand the requirements of the job market but to take it a step further by organising similar workshops in their own universities so that more students have an opportunity to develop these vital skills saying, “We want you to not only understand requirement but be the ambassadors in promoting that change in your universities.”
For faculty members, this workshop provided a valuable opportunity to meet the private sector employers and gain some insight on what they demanded in terms of skills outside the course curriculum. The requirements for employment in the private sector can vary from the public sector and the skills that need to be cultivated should fit the ‘international market’ that has different needs.
“If we had not interacted with them we would not have understood what their requirements are,” and workshops of this nature facilitate and arena for such interaction and allow the academics to understand the requirements of the job market which in turn gives them an idea of what was required of them as well as the necessary training for imparting that knowledge to their students especially in communication skills.
Since ‘we don’t come from homes where English is the medium instruction at home’, she realised early on that students don’t get an opportunity to practice communicating in English. Therefore she took it upon herself to speak to her students in English even outside the classroom and encourage them and give them the confidence to do so with the outside world.
It is also advantageous for the industry as this training will cultivate a generation of students that are ‘ready for employment’, with the right skills for the job.
Microsoft Country Manager Imran Vilcassim spoke of the idea behind this program which was to equip students with transferrable skills such as, communication skills, presentation skills and also technological skills that are important for employment irrespective of which sector they would belong to.
These skills are especially important for the modern employment trends as, “Employers don’t look at a permanent career in a single job or in a single sector.” Instead employees gather experience working at multiple jobs at multiple companies, and even multiple industries throughout their career. 
However there are a number of transferrable skills that have been identified as skills that will be relevant across the board and increase the value of job applicants as prospective candidates for employment. Therefore Microsoft has taken the initiative to equip students with such transferrable skills that would always add value to their CVs as they prepare to complete their university education and enter the competitive labour market in the wide spectrum of employment opportunities that are available today.
Grow your creativity
N-able CEO Peter Almeida spoke on the IT sector and the importance of technology as the driving force of the future. According to him technology does not only entail IT but ‘any new way of doing things’.
This new way of thinking is important for disrupting the market. He used the example of popular brands like Apple to explain this point further. Apple primarily built computers but it is well known that they have been able to capture a huge share in the mobile phone and watch markets and disrupt these markets.
In order to enable technological innovations, “The important thing is we need people who can think. Technology is something we can learn easily but thinking people is a rare commodity.”
Unfortunately these habits and ways of thinking being creative are not encouraged let alone developed in students through the local curriculum. Almeida made his view clear by saying, “The sad thing is higher education does not teach you creativity. That is why I feel very worried about the future generation.”
He therefore urged students to take it upon themselves to develop their creativity through reading and exploring the world with an inquisitive mind.
Companies that are scaling always ask themselves the questions; “How can we create value? How can I differentiate myself and how can I sustain my business and keep it going profitability.”
Therefore they would recruit applicants who can add value to the team in these aspects.
Furthermore he also touched on the challenges created by inequality and the existing wealth gap. The capitalist system has realised that if they don’t address this the system will break. He urged students to address at least one such issue caused by inequality in their lives quoting Microsoft founder, Bill Gates and saying, “What’s the point of human beings if we don’t even think of one inequality that this world faces and give our minds to it?” adding, “Have a greater purpose in this life. Then you can truly say that my life has been worth living.”
Think like a CEO
99X Technology CEO Mano Sekaram spoke on ‘leadership’ and singled out entrepreneurship as the most important characteristic when young recruits are sought out for employment. He described leadership as a ‘completely necessary skill if you need to succeed’ and said, “Entrepreneurship and thinking like a CEO is a very, very fundamental thing we look at. This skill helps recruiters see beyond the book smarts and pick those who display an ability to understand concepts as well as, see the big picture. They behave like leaders.” Therefore developing more entrepreneurs is, ‘the only way this country can go forward’.
With entrepreneurship comes risk and Sekaram encouraged the students not to fear failure but rather take it as an opportunity to get better. He said, “Failure during our time was a taboo but today with the new world order failures can be celebrated.”
Students should also be adaptable and dependable as these are two more qualities that are required of the modern day work force. The future can be unpredictable and ever changing and “If you have an inflexible workforce how will you adapt to change?” Therefore he urged students to try and be adaptable from a young age. 
Sekaram attributes a large portion of his success to the fact that he was ‘dependable’ saying, “It was the best thing I had,” and “That is so fundamental because CEOs look for managers who are dependable even if you don’t have all the skills.”
“How can you change the world if you cannot communicate?” he went on to show that in addition to these characteristics communication skills were vital for success. “Nobody is a born communicator,” and this skill can be developed through proper training. He defined communication not as the ability to speak a ‘Shakespearian level of English’ or any other language for that matter, but as the ability to ‘articulate ideas’ and communicating the ‘little that you know with the right way of communicating and presenting.’
Creating a dramatic shift of the mindset
Microimage COO Rohan Jayaweera spoke of innovation and pointed out a start distinction between innovation and invention. “Innovation always tends to happen at a time when things become a little bit difficult and the chances of innovation reduce with comfort,” a scenario he knows from first-hand experience. As the first Sri Lankan employee of Google he spoke of his own experiences with the university shutting down during his first year which pushed him out of his comfort zone and forced him to find an alternative career path which led him to working with one of the most well-known brands in the world saying, “If that didn’t happen I probably wouldn’t have worked for Google.”
Innovation is difficult. It is not simply about inventing something new. In fact, Jayaweera pointed out that in most instances the names we attribute with certain products are not the names of the persons who invented them in the first place. The names we are most familiar with belong to those people who took an invention, innovated with it and presented it to the world.
Therefore innovation doesn’t have to be technology driven. It doesn’t have to be in the form of a product that you can ‘touch and feel.’ Different things can trigger the mind to alter its way of thinking and drive ways and patterns of innovation. “For ideas to come to mind there need to be a dramatic shift in the mindset,” which is why in most instances we hear about new ideas and wonder, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ This is because creating such a shift in the mindset only comes down to one thing, culture, and it cannot take place unless the proper culture is in place.
The culture also needs to suit the need and it’s vital to understand that different ideas will work for different teams. Therefore it was important to figure out the proper cultural fit as he said, “Just because it worked for Google, don’t think it will work for you.”
Jayaweera also said that ‘collaboration was the power’ in innovation. It is important to share ideas and work with teams.
The average lifespan of a company is reducing. For instance Google is a relatively new company which didn’t exist during Jayaweera’s first year of university. “You will work for companies that don’t exist now,” he said displaying the rapid speed of innovation which students will have to keep up with in this day and age.
Tell them your story
Financial expert, NTB Bank COO Keshini Jayawardana gave the students some insight on how to get an edge their job application by knowing what the recruiters look for in the selection process. Apart from academic qualifications, she said the most important element that gets a candidate noticed is their story.
“Today with qualifications you will get over the first pile to be considered. In order to be interviewed you need to stand out of that pile. Think about yourself and think about what makes you interesting,” she said urging the students to look back on their lives and think of various incidents they can draw on that showcase their personal strengths to the potential employer. These stories help you to get picked out of a crowd by allowing the recruiters to value your potential. 
Making the best use of leisure time to pursue various other interests outside school work is a good way to build such stories. These can be through internships, sports, arts, organising functions or, “Anything that will build your capabilities and give you examples to talk about yourselves.”
Preparation for interviews can be done by writing down these stories beforehand rather than trying to recollect them on the spot when the question is raised as Jayawardena emphasised, “Have a good story to tell. Don’t wait to go into an interview and think about yourself.”
Furthermore, she also told the students to give some thought to the question about what they wanted in life even though they wouldn’t be expected to have it all figured out in their 20s. On the other hand she also said, “Don’t be afraid of changing direction if that’s what the situation calls for,” urging the students to be flexible and open to all possibilities and new experiences that may come their way and, “Don’t say no because it’s not in your plan or you don’t know how to do it.”
She also spoke of difficulties she had to face as a woman in a male dominated industry. She had to overcome many challenges dealing with sceptics and balancing the demands of her career with her family life and inspired the girls in the audience to overcome these obstacles and follow their dreams.
Burning desire for success
LAUGFS Holdings Chairman W.K.H. Wegapitiya shared some personal insights on ‘entrepreneurship’ from his humble beginnings as a farmer’s son in a rural village now rising among the ranks as one of Sri Lanka’s most successful self-made local businessmen.
According to him, entrepreneurship is not something that can be taught, but rather something that is inculcated in an individual through nature. Nature can create difficult situations that force you to think outside the box and be creative.
One of the biggest challenges Wegapitiya had to overcome in his childhood was hunger as he said, “When you feel hungry, and you have no food to eat, then you become very creative.” He added, “Only nature can create challenges. Humans can only create the barriers.” While it might seem like bad news that environment that builds entrepreneurial skills cannot be simulated and taught the ‘good news’ was that each and every individual held within them, the potential to be moulded into an entrepreneur if they face nature and circumstance with the right attitude. He also spoke of the importance of being in one with nature for innovation because, “Only nature can give you big innovative ideas.”
As a product of the local university system, he also commended the standard of local education saying it was one of the best in the world and, “If not for it I wouldn’t have been able to come up or get the opportunity to stand before you today as an achiever.”
He further expressed his strong faith in the local education system as he has been exposed to the different calibres of students from local and foreign universities. Therefore he reassured the students and faculty of his faith in their potential saying that while foreign graduates may have better conversation skills, Sri Lankan graduates are exposed to a turbulent environment which improves their capability of ‘understanding basic fundamentals and adaptability’.
The entrepreneurship expert also left with the students, thoughts on the importance of ethics and desire saying success is not measured in terms of money, education or fame but by the impact you make to society. Arriving in Colombo with only Rs. 200 in his pocket and unable to speak English he has been able to overcome these and many other challenges and attributed his ‘burning desire for success’ as the driving force of his career that set him apart in the business world.
Unlimited opportunities
There is an increasing number of opportunities arising in Sri Lanka according to top officials in the apparel industry.
“Opportunities are out there depending on your imagination,” said MAS Linea Aqua Managing Director Sarinda Unamboowe who also spoke of the cutting edge innovation done by Linea Aqua that has been able to develop Sri Lankan manufactured swim wear to meet the highest international standards. He pointed out that innovation can be made even in the most unexpected industries. Even though it might seem like there is little room for development in swim wear for instance, it is now being developed for performance enhancement, performance feedback, to fit any body shape and to protect its wearers from the sun.
“The best of the best are coming in and joining this company because they see the opportunity to come and develop something that is truly unique in the that area,” he said referring to his workforce that includes employees with previous work experience from organisations like NASA and Rolls-Royce and degree holders from top universities such as Harvard and Yale.
Unamboowe also revealed a number of things that are really sought after by employees when selecting candidates for such lucrative jobs.
The most important thing is to have a unique set of skills that will add value to the team. According to him this can be anything from sports to volunteering as he said, “The x factor is something you look at in a CV and think, this person is more than just a qualification. He’s going to add value to the team.”
However he also dished out the harsh truth about the competitive job market pointing out that a degree is not the only factor that comes into consideration when hiring people saying, “Too many people come out of getting a degree and expect, just because they have an MSc or a BSc, that they have a right to a job. You do not have a right to a job. You have to earn that right to a job and that is only going to come from you differentiating yourself from everybody else who puts CVs on our table.”
Follow your passion
CITI Bank Country Manager Ravin Basnayake, the second of the two financial experts that addressed the gathering referred to himself as an ‘accidental banker’ having stumbled upon the profession after trying his hand at a number of other interests ranging from marketing to acting and at one point, even puppetry. Similarly he urged the university students to explore their interest and build strong stories that make them interesting to an interviewer.
“I think you need to do things that interest you during that time because you need to have a story when you go for an interview and my story was not about great successes but about great failures and stories about doing things that I like to do.” This exploration of interests can also lead to great self-discovery, and understanding what an individual is good at. Students may have ideas of what they would like to do but that may not necessarily be what they are good at. This can only be discovered through real world experience and “What skills you have are best tested when you go out there and try to do something about it.”
Basnayake also encouraged the students to become entrepreneurs. He further pointed out that this does not necessarily mean they should become inventors but rather, engage in entrepreneurship on some scale in order to develop it as a skill as he added it’s, “Not about innovation but little things you can do through your career.”
The financial expert also had some advice for the students to keep in mind as they develop in their careers. He stressed on the importance of communication, being ethical and building alliances. Communication was vital to convey great ideas as he said, “You can have great ideas and be the best in the business but if you cannot show others what you can do or to tell your ideas then you won’t be able to make an impact.”
Speaking on the importance of ethics he urged students not to compromise on their principles even though various forces may attempt to influence them in this regard at various junctures of their career as he added, “Don’t get pushed around. If someone is pushing you too hard and there is no way to go then leave that place and find another job.”
Furthermore he motivated the students to not be afraid of taking up difficult jobs even at the risk of failure. They will be commended for attempting something new that was outside their comfort zone.
Using strengths
to overcome weakness
Corporate Skills Ltd CEO Shyamila Hettiarachchi spoke on ‘Employability Skills in Teaching’. Self-awareness, awareness of the global market and effective professional communication across all borders was the key to becoming a globally competitive individual in the job market. Her organisation which specialises in skills management aims to develop a human resource pool of such a competitive global standard as she said, “We are not looking at creating cookie cutter images.”
In order to have self-awareness it is most important to be aware of personal strengths and weaknesses. Once these are discovered, one may begin to develop their skills by improving their strengths as she added, “You must start from your capabilities. If not you are starting at a minus.”
Speaking of awareness of the global market she said, “We are all commodities in this market. We have a price.” Therefore awareness in this aspect stems from knowing this fact and improving skills to increase personal value in the global market. This rule applies to everyone in the job market including, and especially potential candidates for top ranking jobs such as Country Directors and CEOs as she also added, “If you don’t upscale yourself you’re going to lose.”
Our ways and means of communication need to expand beyond local standards and ebb away from using words like ‘machang’ that are common Sri Lankan vocabulary. It needs to be ‘professional’ and span ‘across borders’. Furthermore, she spoke of the importance of being able to attract and impress in our methods of communication. Referring to the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ she asked, “Has anyone read a book with a boring cover?” and reinforced the point; “To get your foot in through the door you need to impress.”
She also spoke on the importance of improving on weaknesses such as the ‘lack of English knowledge’ which is a commonly used ‘excuse.’ However Hettiarachchi was able to argue after taking a quick poll from the audience, that a majority of individuals have access to smartphones, the internet, Facebook and regularly read English articles online.
Therefore she said, “Don’t use an excuse we can see through,” while also urging them to have the courage to ask for help when it was needed as this was another desirable skill that employees seek out as she added, “Nobody needs to be an expert to start. This is what employers crave. They want you to display the attitude, knowledge and skills. If you have a difficulty, have the courage to ask for help.”
The speeches of the morning session were followed by an afternoon of skills development with various workshops being held for both the students and the faculty.
The students attended a Soft Skills and Leadership Training Workshop conducted by Forte Business Consultancy CEO Rozaine Cooray. This was followed by a World Café Coaching Sessions with representatives from JHK, Brandix, MAS, Microsoft and N-able. Here the students were given the opportunity to develop some of the most important skills that industry leaders had laid out in the previous sessions as requisites to face the competitive job environment. They were encouraged to communicate and build confidence as many students shared their dreams and future plans with the rest of the group.
The faculty members also attended a special workshop designed for ‘Building the 21st Century Leader Mindset’ conducted by Colombo Leadership Academy, Director/CEO Riaz Hassen, which was followed by a Soft Skills and Leadership session conducted by Full Life Coaching CEO Poojitha Silva.
Pix by Lasantha Kumara
